1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a buckle assembly having a female buckle portion that can be secured to a corresponding male buckle portion. The female buckle portion according to the invention can accommodate multiple male buckle portions at once, and has a release mechanism for releasing all of the attached male buckle portions with a single movement.
2. The Prior Art
In a standard two-piece buckle, a male portion is snapped into a female portion and is then released, either by pushing a central button, pulling a lever, or squeezing locking legs of the male portion together. In certain applications, it is desired to have male and female buckles engaged in one location, for example in the small of one's back, yet have the ability to release the buckles in a more accessible area, such as near the shoulder, while making the system with as low a profile as possible. This system would be of particular advantage with cut-away tactical vests worn by the military and law enforcement, where a cummerbund or hip belt needs to be disassembled from the back but the release mechanism can be placed in a more accessible area. It is important that all of the buckles be released simultaneously to free the wearer from the vest, but the system must be secure enough so that the buckles are not inadvertently released while the wearer is moving through obstacles.